Gantries are used in a variety of lifting applications where objects are to be lifted using a hoist that is mounted for horizontal movement along a beam of the gantry. Typically gantries have a pair of legs on which a horizontal beam is mounted, with the hoist being mounted on the horizontal beam by means of a ring which depends from a trolley which is mounted for movement along the beam. The height of the beam may be adjustable, for example by adjusting the length of the legs, and the legs may be mounted on castors, wheels or the like to permit movement of the gantry.
Because of their construction gantries of this type are typically cumbersome and difficult to manoeuvre, transport and store. Transporting or storing a gantry in its fully assembled state can be difficult because of the size of the gantry. Some gantries can be disassembled for transportation and storage, for example by detaching the beam from the legs, and reassembled at the destination where they are to be used. This approach is time-consuming as it requires the disassembly and subsequent reassembly of the gantry, and also has safety implications, as it is possible for the gantry to be reassembled incorrectly.
Accordingly there is a desire for a gantry that is easy to manoeuvre and can quickly and easily be transported between locations and stored, without requiring time-consuming and potentially unsafe disassembly and subsequent reassembly.